


Aquarium

by autohaptic, rent_a_gundam



Series: Rent-a-Gundam [59]
Category: Gundam & Related Fandoms, Gundam 00
Genre: Aftermath, Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-15
Updated: 2009-04-15
Packaged: 2017-12-07 19:43:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/752312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autohaptic/pseuds/autohaptic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rent_a_gundam/pseuds/rent_a_gundam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It was very quick," Setsuna says, apropos of nothing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aquarium

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the sprawling Rent-a-Gundam series: a university/rent-boy!AU that was co-written by Veda, Auto, Orange and Typo.
> 
> Only a portion of the RAG fics have been posted on AO3. For all other fics in the series, check out the Rent-a-Gundam journal: <http://rent-a-gundam.livejournal.com>
> 
> ***
> 
> This particular story was written by Auto.
> 
> Originally posted here: <http://rent-a-gundam.livejournal.com/11913.html>

"It was very quick," Setsuna says, apropos of nothing. Al glances around briefly, wondering where Lasse has gotten to, but his friend's nowhere in sight and Setsuna's continuing in his usual expressionless monotone. "Hallelujah reached back and--" Setsuna snaps his fingers once, the sound loud and sharp in the lull that's formed around them. "--broke his neck. Painless."

Al only stares blankly, too horrified to come up with anything to say. If Setsuna told--or even hinted at--this to Lyle... well, getting everyone out of the house and hoping it's still standing when they get back really is the absolute best option. He swallows hard, looking down at the sting ray tank just in time for an exceptionally large ray to swim out from under the edge and toward the center. He wonders if the ray tank will ever make him feel peaceful again, after this.

"I don't understand why he's angry," Setsuna continues, like Al said something. "Unless it's for the loss of my _father_." And there--right there is the first real emotion he's seen Setsuna express. A slight shift in tone and a grimace accompany the last word, such a perfect mixture of love and disgust that it makes Al's heart break.

Lyle won't mind, he decides. Neil might, because Neil is secretive and doesn't want people to know and pity them for it, but Lyle won't mind and Lyle's the only one who matters right now. He's the one probably getting the snot beaten out of him, although Al hopes that Halle's feeling guilty enough to hold back a little.

"Lyle and Neil are orphans," he says, softly. Reaching over, he slides one arm around Setsuna's shoulders and draws the boy close. It might seem like affection, to an observer, but mostly it's so he can whisper the next bit in Setsuna's ear. "Their parents and sister were killed in--in a hostage situation. Lyle listened to them beg for their lives for an hour before they were killed."

When he told Al and Halle about it... Al remembers, even though he wishes he didn't remember with such clarity. It was on the anniversary. Neil spent the whole day and into the night in bed with Lichty, which wasn't really _that_ unusual on days off. It was, however, unusual to hear near-hysterical sobbing through the walls instead of sex sounds.

That had been what made Lyle go from half-drunk, casually sprawled across the collective Haptism lap, to shitfaced and burying his face against Al's chest as he told the story of how he and Neil had lost their parents. Trying to sneak into the country, mixed up with human traffickers. Hostage situation at the hotel. Police going along with everything at first, and Lyle had been youngest so he'd been sent out. Neil had hidden after that and the dealers had forgotten that there was a second boy.

So while Lyle got to sit in the police car and listen to everything, Neil had seen it all. They'd had to forcibly drag him out of his hiding place under the bed--he wouldn't come on his own. Neil had been catatonic at first, completely non-reactive, and then as soon as he'd seen Lyle he'd started screaming and hadn't stopped until they'd sedated him.

And that, Lyle finished, is how we got citizenship and a free house from the government.

Al didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the time. He still doesn't, just the same way he's not sure whether to be happy or sad that Ali is dead, Halle is responsible, and Setsuna is probably going to end up Al's responsibility from now on.

Setsuna doesn't say anything in reply, only leans against Al and looks out across the tank.

◊

When Neil and Tieria arrive, Al and Lasse are sitting on a bench near the entrance and Setsuna is back over at the ray tank. They walk in holding hands and grinning in a way that makes all thoughts of why he's stuck at the fucking aquarium vanish into thin air.

" _Finally_ ," Lasse says, before Al comes up with anything witty to say.

Color actually rises in Neil's cheeks--just a little, and he looks away from Tieria and drops hands. Tieria, of course, will have none of it; he grabs Neil's hand again, lacing their fingers together and looking at Al in a way that pretty much dares him to say something. Al just grins, shrugging sheepishly. "I had hoped, when you said theatre..."

"Your hopes were not in vain, Allelujah Haptism," Tieria says, like it even needs saying. Although Allelujah suspects he mostly says it for the way the color in Neil's cheeks heightens, going from porcelain doll blush to baby-doll blush in a way that isn't at all displeasing to the eye.

As they make their way toward the ray tank, Al wonders absently how long it'll take Tieria to get Neil in a dress, and whether there will be an opportunity for another threesome anytime soon.

"Setsuna?" Neil asks, breaking Al out of his thoughts.

They were supposed to be rid of him today--it was what Halle kept saying: he's only here until the funeral. But now that the funeral's over and they're all here instead of at home, and Al can see on Neil's face exactly how long it takes to realize who's _not_ here... Al takes a slightly shaky breath and reaches over to hook an arm around Setsuna's waist.

"He's going to stay with us a while longer. Probably in my room."

Setsuna doesn't bother attempting a smile, but he does melt into Al's touch, even as his eyes stay focused on the tank.

"Is he going to pay bills?" Tieria, always the pragmatic one, asks. Al hopes his wince isn't as obvious as it feels.

"After he finds a job, yes."

At that, Setsuna does actually look up at Al, some mild form of shock his only expression. Al wonders if the shock is for the fact that they expect him to pay bills, or that they expect him to get a job that doesn't involve turning tricks.

"Any more questions?" Al asks, looking Neil and Tieria over.

"Yes," Tieria says, turning around and looking at the next exhibit. "Where's the shark tank?"

Al, only too happy for the change in subject, leads the way.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of a mini-arc that includes the following stories in the following order:  
> Sold; His Fucking Son; Aquarium.
> 
> "His Fucking Son" cannot be found on Ao3; please read it on Livejournal: <http://rent-a-gundam.livejournal.com/11586.html>


End file.
